Side Kick - Heel Ball or Blade of Foot Strike?

For a side kick, I was taught to turn your foot down so that the ball of your foot at the heel strikes the target. To me, this seems "correct" technique because the striking area is small on the receiver's end and it puts the impact force straight down your leg.

I have also had TKD and Shotokan instructors that tell the students to strike with the blade of the foot for a side kick. The foot is more horizontal this way instead of toes down.

I am not going to relearn how I do a side kick at this point, but I was curious what folks think the mechanics of a side kick these two ways.

Strike with the ball of your heel. There are several reasons to do it that way. First, that aligns your strike direction with the rest of your leg, and structural support is good. Second, because you have to make your muscles turn the foot down there is no guarantee that you can maintain that orientation during the strike. Third, if you're wearing shoes or boots that do not allow your ankle to twist in that way then you aren't going to be able to do it the way you practice out on the street.

It seems like turning the foot to strike with the "blade" of the foot would get your foot jammed/screwed up. I once tore ligaments in my foot by falling in that position... non-martial arts related incident.

I know that some Shotokan groups actually teach both (the "blade" version being called yokogeri keage, or "side-up kick", and the heel version being yokogeri kekomi, or "side-thrust kick" -- or something like that). Ignoring various historical notes, the Shotokan group I used to practice with (Canada Shotokan/SKA) had eliminated the "blade" version of the kick, and I've been told that some people fucked up their backs with diligent practice thereof.

I no longer practice karate, but I've long been curious to see the blade version of the kick actually applied. I know from personal experience that you can really rock a bag with the heel version, and that even a small guy can knock the wind out of me with ease whilst going light, but I've never seen anyone hit anything with the blade variation. Anyone here able to compare what it feels like to hit a heavy bag hard with the different kicks?

(On a side note, we were always cautioned, with the heel version we practiced, to get the knee up high and thrust the heel down, or at the least, no higher than the plane defined by the three points of hip, heel, and knee, in the direction of the knee-heel line. There was this guy, we were told, with a habit of kicking "up", who hit a very heavy bag and very thoroughly broke his own knee with the impact...)

I'd say it really depends on what your opponent is doing. Usually, for power and ease of form, I'd go with the ball, but if the guard of the person is tight (but not that tight) I'd throw a bladed side kick instead to hopefully sneak a strike through.

It seems like turning the foot to strike with the "blade" of the foot would get your foot jammed/screwed up. I once tore ligaments in my foot by falling in that position... non-martial arts related incident.

Correct. Given the number of variables--you're moving, so's the opponent, vertical motions as well, angles of impact between two circling and/or otherwise moving fighters, kicks glancing in ways that **** up the ankle--the heel version is just a lot more solid, safer and generally preferable for full-contact sparring and fighting.

I remember the argument for the usage of either technique was based upon the target. In keeping with the soft/hard principle, the heel was used against hard targets (ribcage, head) and the blade is used against soft targets (throat, stomach)

Strike with the ball of your heel. There are several reasons to do it that way. First, that aligns your strike direction with the rest of your leg, and structural support is good. Second, because you have to make your muscles turn the foot down there is no guarantee that you can maintain that orientation during the strike. Third, if you're wearing shoes or boots that do not allow your ankle to twist in that way then you aren't going to be able to do it the way you practice out on the street.

That's the way we teach it also. In addition, make sure you don't over rotate your shoulders. Think straight line from your head, through your shoulders and hips to the heel.